The present invention relates to a rigid fiberboard material. More particularly, the present invention relates to a rigid fiberboard useful as a pencil slat in the manufacture of pencils.
The familiar wooden shaft which forms a part of almost all standard lead pencils, colored lead pencils, cosmetic pencils and other such marking implements has traditionally been formed from pencil slats made of two kinds of wood. Approximately 85% of such pencils are manufactured from incense cedar, which grows from central Oregon to lower California. The remaining 15% are made from jelutong, which is a tropical rain forest hardwood found in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Incense cedar typically grows among large stands of fir trees and, in the past, has been obtained through the "clear cutting" of such trees. However, severe restrictions are about to be placed on the "clear cutting" operations commonly practiced by the timber industry. Thus, incense cedar will have to be selectively harvested from the fir forests in which it grows. This will, of course, result in a substantial rise in the cost of cedar to pencil manufacturers. Cedar costs will be further increased by restrictions on the supply of this wood. Approximately one-third of the incense cedar harvest area will shortly be taken out of production to protect endangered species of wildlife, such as the "Spotted" Owl.
Jelutong has, to this point, been a low cost substitute for incense cedar; however, this is likely to change in the very near future. The fragile rain forest ecosystem in which this wood grows is easily damaged by harvesting operations. Thus, access to much of the growing area has already been restricted by the Indonesian and Malaysian governments in an effort to protect their nations rain forests from degradation. Despite these efforts, illegal harvesting of jelutong from restricted areas is widespread. In view of these activities and the ecological damage they cause, several environmental groups have called for a boycott of those pencil manufacturers who employ jelutong in the manufacture of their pencils. Further, the increased demand for jelutong as a substitute for cedar in the manufacture of pencils has prompted some environmental organizations to designate jelutong as an endangered tree species.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rigid fiberboard material which is useful as a substitute for the natural woods currently employed as pencil slats in the manufacture of pencils and to provide pencils made therefrom.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a rigid fiberboard in the form of pencil slats which pencil manufacturers can substitute directly into their manufacturing apparatus and processes without the need to significantly alter existing machinery or methods.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a rigid fiberboard which, in part, comprises recycled materials.